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Florida Direct Marketing Association Presents Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Industry Direct Marketing Successes Luncheon October 26, 2006
Journey into three Unique, Cutting-edge Direct-response Case Studies Delivered by our Trio of South Florida Travel Industry Experts
Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) October 1, 2006 -- The Florida Direct Marketing Association (FDMA) announces its October monthly luncheon event Direct Marketing Successes in Travel, Tourism, & Hospitality being held Thursday, October 26, 2006 at the Westin Hotel on Cypress Creek Road and I-95 in Fort Lauderdale from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The meeting is open to the public with registration and networking beginning at 11:30 a.m., followed by the lunch and presentation at noon. The cost to attend is $37 for members, $48 for non-members. Attendees are encouraged to register online at www.fdma.org in advance and save $10 over walk-up registration. The event is being sponsored by International Bonded Couriers, Inc.
“With travel, tourism and hospitality a bedrock industry in Florida, it’s important to serve the needs of some of the area’s largest direct marketers,” said Keith Fletcher, FDMA President. “Our powerhouse trio of speakers will each present direct marketing success stories from their own companies, and collectively represent different constituents within a broad industry. We’ve no doubt they’ll spark ideas that direct marketers from outside travel and tourism can implement in their own companies.”
The all-female panel of presenters consists of Nancy Wilkins, Director of Marketing Communications for Regent (formerly Radisson) Seven Seas Cruises (www.rssc.com), Kelly Tortoriello, Convention Marketing Services Director for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (www.sunny.org), and Sheryl Cattell, Director of Online Services for Bluegreen Corp. (www.bluegreencorp.com), a leading provider of timeshare resorts and planned residential and golf communities.
Nancy Wilkins brings more than 16 years of experience to the hospitality industry, with over a decade in the luxury travel sector. In addition to her role as director of marketing communications for Regent Seven Seas Cruises®, Wilkins currently serves as adjunct professor for Capella University in Minneapolis, MN, teaching online courses in marketing. She is a member of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI), Directing Marketing Association (DMA) and Toastmaster’s International, and was awarded a “Rising Star” award by Travel Agent Magazine in 2001.
Sheryl Cattell is a seasoned marketing professional with over 20 years of expertise helping companies define their brand and expand market share. Prior to joining Bluegreen Corporation, Sheryl served as Vice President Marketing for eDiets, the most visited online diet destination for meal plans, fitness and support. Sheryl holds a Masters in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Michigan State University. She is also the Founder and former President of two interactive marketing associations, the Dallas/Fort Worth Interactive Marketing Association (www.dfwima.org) and the South Florida Interactive Marketing Association (www.sfima.com).
As Director of Convention Marketing Services for the Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, Kelly Tortoriello knows what it takes to attract and retain not just vacationers to south Florida, but businesses and organizations as well. She’ll explore the bureau’s winning direct marketing efforts and explain what it takes to succeed as concierge to the professional community.
About the Florida Direct Marketing Association (FDMA)
The FDMA (www.fdma.org) has nearly 200 members, including catalogers, Internet retailers, financial services providers, publishers, book and music clubs and retail stores. “Direct marketing” is the art and science of sending one-to-one promotional messages directly to consumers, which allows marketers to measure response rates and campaign effectiveness.
FDMA events are typically held on the third Thursday of each month at the Westin Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. New members receive their first event free. Special membership rates are available for non-profit organizations as well. For additional information, please contact Karen Talavera, FDMA Programming Chair at 561-964-7237 or Keith Fletcher, FDMA Board President, at 786-357-3275.
About Regent Seven Seas Cruises
The ships of Regent Seven Seas Cruises offer voyages of exploration and discovery to over 300 ports on six continents, including Antarctica. Their luxury vessels are designed for guests numbering in the hundreds rather than the thousands and all ships share certain distinctions in accommodations, service, dining and amenities that elevate them to the lofty vantage point of an enviable six stars. With the 2003 debut of the new all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Voyager, Regent Seven Seas Cruises' fleet of six-star ships is growing in capacity and options. Regent Seven Seas Cruises, with headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is part of Carlson Hospitality Worldwide of Carlson Companies, Inc., one of America's largest privately-owned corporations.
About Bluegreen Corporation
Bluegreen Corporation (NYSE:BXG ) is a leading provider of Colorful Places to Live and Play® through two principal operating divisions. Bluegreen Resorts markets a flexible, real-estate based vacation ownership plan that provides over 150,000 owners access to over 40 resorts, an exchange network of over 3,700 resorts and other vacation experiences such as cruises and hotel stays. Bluegreen Communities® has sold over 51,000 planned residential and golf community homesites in 32 states since 1985. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, Bluegreen employs over 5,000 associates. In 2005, Bluegreen ranked #57 on Forbes' list of The 200 Best Small Companies and #48 on Fortune magazine's list of " America 's 100 Fastest Growing Companies."
About the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
Created by the Board of Broward County Commissioners in 1987, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (GFLCVB) is a governmental agency funded by a portion of the five percent (as of July 1, 1996) tax on hotel rooms. The 38-member staff of the GFLCVB promotes the Greater Fort Lauderdale area as a premier year-round leisure and meeting destination.
About International Bonded Couriers Inc. (IBC) (www.ibcinc.com)
With more than 50 offices, and a work force of over 1,000 employees using an advanced, integrated computer network, a cargo airline of 11 planes, their own mail house, in-house customs brokerage, and more than 24 years of experience, IBC unites all facets of value-added international and domestic delivery logistics under one roof. IBC's teamwork, technology, and applied know-how combine to make the seemingly impossible an everyday achievement.
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